New political identities formed by Brexit

UK – The UK referendum result to leave the EU has created new political identities according to a report commissioned by the Political Studies Association.

A year after the vote, there are now clear political allegiances based on the Leave-Remain divide. EU referendum: one year on found that almost three quarters of people think of themselves as either Leavers ( 38%) or Remainers ( 35%).

And with Leave and Remain cutting across the traditional two-party British system it means greater political uncertainty.

The report points to a new type of politics springing up in the snap election – ‘Brexit Blairism’ – which saw Jeremy Corbyn seize the centre ground on Brexit, much like Tony Blair did on economic issues in 1997. Brexit Blairism helped blunt the Conservative’s appeal in Leave areas, while allowing Labour to promote a ‘softer’ alternative to ‘hard’ Brexit in Remain areas.

Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe, said: “Profound and fundamental political changes have occurred since the referendum and it remains to be seen how durable they prove to be.

“It is hard, if not impossible, following the snap election to know how the Brexit negotiations will go. The attitude our fundamentally divided Parliament will take is crucial and impossible to predict.”

The report, written by 38 academics, covers politics, economics, public opinion, public policies, the implications for the nations of the United Kingdom and relations with the EU following the UK’s referendum last year.

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